


An Attempted-Murder-Mystery Relationship Rollercoaster Extravaganza! Alt title: A Bad Day

by elegantdeergladiator



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Attempted Murder, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/M, Original Character(s), Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:20:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27244099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elegantdeergladiator/pseuds/elegantdeergladiator
Summary: You were pissed. Granted, you had been irritable regardless on this particular day anyhow, but every single incident you’d managed to stumble into contributed to the icing on the fury cake. Maul was a very busy man of course and the time you were able to spend together was typically fleeting, yet he had the power to make as much time as he needed when it came to you and your desires, if you would only ask it of him - however, you couldn’t bring yourself to do that without feeling selfish and somewhat pathetic. Recently, his busy schedule had been keeping you apart more often than ever before, and it was beginning to affect you more than you realized.
Relationships: Darth Maul/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	An Attempted-Murder-Mystery Relationship Rollercoaster Extravaganza! Alt title: A Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on savagesbonergarage.tumblr.com

You were pissed. Granted, you had been irritable regardless on this particular day anyhow, but every single incident you’d managed to stumble into contributed to the icing on the fury cake. Maul was a very busy man of course and the time you were able to spend together was typically fleeting, yet he had the power to make as much time as he needed when it came to you and your desires, if you would only ask it of him - however, you couldn’t bring yourself to do that without feeling selfish and somewhat pathetic. Recently, his busy schedule had been keeping you apart more often than ever before, and it was beginning to affect you more than you realized.

You had woken up to a vacant space on his side of the bed which wasn't unusual, though you could have sworn it had been unoccupied for most of the night. Something urgent must have been brought to his attention, so you immediately got up and began to investigate. It didn't take long, considering you nearly stepped on it - the dismembered corpse of a kouhun, with extra bits and pieces from a second one that was likely taken for analysis.  _ An assassination attempt? _

You panicked, bewildered that you had been oblivious to something so serious as an attack on your lover's life. The confrontation was likely short and knowing Maul, possibly even predicted, however it disturbed you knowing that you slept through the entire thing. With every intention to meet up with him as quickly as possible you rushed to get dressed, managing to get underclothes on before  _ it _ shot out at you from beneath the bed - a third kouhun.

By sheer luck, you knocked it back onto the ground with your fist avoiding its venomous bite, but not the sting from the paralyzing tail that grazed your wrist. The commotion alerted the Death Watch guard positioned at your door to burst in, and you grabbed his blaster before he could react and fired an extensive amount of shots at the pale creature until it was singed mush.

"My Lady, are you alright?" the guard clamored, knowing this may very well be his last day of service should Lord Maul learn he was almost too late. 

You didn’t bother to hide the discontent in your voice as you shoved the weapon back into his arms.

“Where is he?”

He knew who you meant.

“Erm, he’s temporarily off-world, My Lady. My orders were to allow you to rest in peace and keep you safe until his return.”

_ Trying not to make a big deal of things, as usual.  _ You thought it sweet that Maul wanted to handle this quietly and let you relax, however the hidden kouhun that attacked you wasn’t going to ease your mind about the safety of either of you until you had some answers yourself. The wound on your wrist was searing with pain, and slowly but surely you began to feel the effects of the sting. A second Death Watch guard came running to your aid and you felt yourself rolling your eyes.

“Well, at least you managed to do one of those things. I want this room thoroughly searched. Tear down the walls if you have to.”

He affirmed your order and got to work. You stumbled, falling against the chest of the guard behind you as you gradually became more disoriented. She steadied you and examined your wrist.

“My Lady, you need to be taken to the medbay at once.” 

She tried to scoop you up into her arms and you objected, pouting.

“I  _ have  _ legs-” you began, though just as you were speaking they gave out from beneath you. You sighed. “Very well.”

*

Slipping in and out of consciousness, you observed what you were feeling in those lingering moments that in reality was a quick and driven trek to the medbay. The guard held you close and supported your limp form in her strong arms, and you ran your finger along the side of her beskar chestplate that you rested against.  _ When was the last time I was held like this? Has he ever...held me like this?  _ Your inhibitions faltering and your emotions even more so, part of you wanted to cry. If you hadn’t been incapacitated perhaps you might have, pathetically, in the arms of a woman you hardly knew. 

_ Have I always been this needy? This feeble? _ All you could truly put together was how much you wanted Maul to be with you in that moment. Not only then, but always. You knew what things would be like and accepted it the moment you began your life with him, yet deep in the whirlwind of your soul you yearned for him. Constantly. Every moment he was away, every night that you had spent alone, and even the ones where he was right beside you deeply sleeping from exertion - you wished for more time with him. 

Maul was your lover, but he was also many other things: Mand’alor, a crime lord, a Sith, an assassin, an enemy to many and ally to few, and therefore his time was well-exhausted. Granted, you were rarely proactive about conveying your desires to him. The last thing you would ever want would be to become a burden to him, and you feared that demanding anything more from him would do exactly that. Moreover, if he were ever to perceive you in his eyes as weaker than you likely already were - well, you feared it would kill you more than figuratively. 

*

You awoke beneath the bright lights of the medbay, unsure of how long you had been unconscious. You’d been administered the antidote for the sting which was now properly dressed, and someone was holding you upright as a medical droid checked your vitals. At first you breathed a sigh of relief, assuming it was Maul at your side just as you had dreamt, only to find that rather than the warmth of his chest against your back, it was the cool metal of beskar from the guard that had brought you here in the first place. You shook her away immediately, your scowl reflective of the one the Mand’alor typically wore.

“What’s the meaning of this?” you demanded flatly as you shooed the droid away.

“Um, you asked me to, My Lady. You insisted that I stay by your side and physically support you. I can authenticate that I was merely following orders.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose, recalling the details for yourself. Force, you felt pathetic.

"Well, that's no longer necessary. How long was I out?"

"A few hours. You had also asked that I inform you when Lord Maul returned, and he has. My orders are conflicting here, as you instructed that I take you to him immediately, however-"

You instantly jolted upright in the same manner a dog does after hearing it’s favorite phrase.

"-He's back? Where is he, I want-"

The guard raised a dismissive hand.

"-I know, but he demanded that we keep you in here, safe. It seems he didn't find satisfactory answers to what he sought, and he's  _ quite _ upset. He stopped by here and saw your injury. It was made clear that if any other failures to follow his orders-"

You huffed loudly enough to disrupt her statement and hopped out of your cot, unperturbed by the fact that you were still barely clothed.

"If his orders are to keep me safe, that can be done without  _ confining _ me."

The guard clamored on, but you refused to pay attention. Taking notice of a containment vial on the other side of the room, you brushed past her and snatched it. Inside was the kouhun taken from the scene of the crime.  _ Seems like they're done with it. _ You marched to the door and, unsurprisingly, the guard blocked you. Your fist clenched until you felt your knuckles might rip through the skin, fury coursing through you like coaxium.

"No. I'm seeing him. I know what his orders are, and frankly, I don't care. It's about time I be more...direct with him. I'd rather he and I solve this issue together, as equals." You paused, realizing you were revealing more than what was necessary, but now it was all rolling off your tongue before you could stop it. "I don't like being treated like a child that needs protecting. I feel distant from him...and..."

Her expression wasn't visible through her visor, but you could feel her brow arch at your words. Force, you hated this day. Everything angered you, yet the primary cause of your rage thus far was yourself. You coughed into your fist, ashamed, confused, and overall angry that you allowed yourself to be so vulnerable with this guard in particular today. You contemplated knocking her out with the kouhun vial in your other hand, but luckily the tension diffused a bit after she spoke.

“I’m not letting you out. Not looking like  _ that _ .”

You opened your mouth to speak, but you were caught off-guard when she removed her helmet and handed it to you.

“Here,” she insisted as she proceeded to discard her belts, weapons, gauntlets, and eventually her entire flightsuit, “There’s an entourage behind the door. Wear this, and if anyone bothers you just flash this clearance code.”

“Um...” you began, awkwardly moving the pile of garb to the bed and even more awkwardly trying to avoid her eyes as you started to dress, “You’re really going to help me?”

She shrugged.

“Apparently, I have a death wish. I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t get caught, though.”

You fastened the gauntlets and donned the helmet, adjusting your eyes to the vision mode the viewplate was set to. The getup wasn’t a perfect fit, but it didn’t seem too out-of-place at first glance. Vial in hand, you made your way to the exit, pausing to face her after you placed your palm on the door.

“I’ll do my best. Thank you.”

*

It was easy enough getting past the plethora of Death Watch members as you made your way down the hall, walking with purpose and having your code at the ready. So far no one asked questions, and you liked it that way. The one question that really  _ should _ have been asked, however, was the one you’d had this entire time. In the awkward bustle before you left the guard in her skivvies, you entirely forgot to ask  _ just where Maul actually was _ , and you didn’t want to raise suspicion by using the comm. 

This didn’t remain a concern for very long, as the farther you traveled through the palace, the more intensely you felt it; his sheer, unbridled anger. You stopped, sensing the bellowing echo of danger get closer and closer. He was making his way to you, and you began to run in his direction long before you saw him turn the corner. Immediately upon seeing him the cavity in your chest flooded with concern. Your thoughts were preoccupied with all the things you wanted to say, so much so that you didn’t think to remove your helmet.

“Darli-”

Pain seared through your clenched airways, and before you could fully process what was happening, you were flung upwards and against the stone wall with the might of a rancor crushing you. You fell to the ground as Maul retracted his force-grip and continued on, his rage only pluming stronger. You held your throat as you gasped and choked, your lover long gone by the time you pushed through the pain enough to get up. There was no stopping the silent tears.

_ He hurt me.  _

Surely, it was all a misunderstanding. You didn’t reveal yourself after all, so how could he have known? Even so, that didn’t help to ease the hurt any less. You considered that perhaps he _did_ know - he could always feel you through the force after all - and his anger was directed at _you._ It was possible that your repressed fears had finally come to light, and Maul had grown tired of you already. You violently shook your head in an attempt to rattle the imp of the perverse from your brain.

_ No. Maul would never intentionally harm me. _

You removed your helmet and wiped your tears away, swallowing what saliva you could to remedy your burning throat. The kouhun vial had of course been damaged, but not completely; the transparisteel was cracked, but it would suffice. You held it in your hands and studied it as you pondered the events of the day, trying to distinguish reality from fiction. Placing your helmet back on your head, you followed the path that led to the chambers you and Maul shared as you considered what you knew and how you could aid in this investigation. 

Your knowledge of kouhuns wasn’t vastly extensive by any means and likely limited to what could be found publicly on the holonet, yet you contemplated until you remembered something about a similar assassination attempt on a Republic senator where kouhuns were used. From what you could recall, the assassins themselves were long dead, but the order had come from Count Dooku. If this could be recounted from your own memory, then it was certain that Maul already considered this possibility.

_ Force, don’t tell me he’s thinking of heading to Serenno and facing Dooku of all people...  _

There were a million reasons why that was a bad idea, including but not limited to the fact that confronting him would make an enemy of the Separatists and consequently the Republic, causing yet another war that would force Mandalore out of neutrality and unprepared to face both, not to mention the uprising that would be sure to come upon public revelation that Maul was really Mandalore’s ruler. Surely, he had thought that through. Even if Dooku was the one ultimately behind it, it would be foolish of him to use a known tactic that previously failed. Not out of the question, but foolish.

You decided it would be best to refresh your memory and learn what you could, after all, knowledge is power. You didn’t have the resources Maul was currently using, but you had access to a good old-fashioned datapad - and a strange prompting to avoid heading to your room just yet. You made your way to the palace library as inconspicuously as possible, making sure to shut off all tracking and comms, mostly because you didn’t want to be bothered. Little did you know, you’d be saving yourself ten times over.

*

About an hour later, your frustration was building into a rage that was nearly all-consuming. If Maul had more material than you and was feeling this, you could only imagine how stuck he really was. You’d read and watched everything you could find, and only learned that the possibilities were infinite. If anything, you were more stumped than before. Scanning the carcass only revealed that it was the most common variant used for assassinations that just about anyone and their dog could get their hands on. Aside from some predictable mentions of how they were used and generic facts about the species, you learned nothing of value. Nothing. Really, the only requirements an assassin using this method would need is enough competence to keep themselves safe while handling them.

_ Oh. Of course.  _

It was plain as day. Well, mostly. Truthfully, your hypothesis wasn’t rooted in much more than a gut feeling, but it felt...right. Oh, how you wanted to know what Maul knew, if he had come up with conclusions similar to yours or if he perhaps had even already solved it? In any case, you wanted to see him. You hadn’t entirely gotten over your encounter from earlier, however, you still loved him. You wanted to make things right and go over your surmises together and hell, just any time spent with him at all that didn’t involve nearly dying. You set your comm to the remote private channel that connected to Maul directly. Most others were afraid of using it, and rightly so especially for today. For you, though, you hoped that he would make an exception.

“Darling, I’m in the library. If it’s no trouble, I’d like to see you. Come alone if you can.”

You’d barely lifted your finger from the button when you immediately received his response, your heart melting after hearing that voice exhale your name. 

“____, darling, why aren’t you in the medbay? Where are your guards? Are you safe?” 

You couldn’t help but hold a hand over your heart listening to him speak without any semblance of anger towards you. This was the voice of the man you loved, who clearly cared for and loved you in return. 

“I’m fine. I have no one with me. I’m doing some investigating of my own.”

A moment passed before his next response.

“Stay right where you are. I’ll be there soon, my love.”

You were so anxious to see him - to hold him, kiss him, to simply  _ be _ with him for the first time in however long. You dreaded confronting him about what happened in the hallway, but it was only right for him to know. You understood his frustration, but if there was a lesson to be learned in this, it was that he could stand to be less violent with those who served him. To lead by fear was one thing, however there would be nothing left to rule if he ended up killing all his subjects in a fit of anger anyhow.

Excitement filled you as you heard the doors slide open as well as the pounding of his metal feet as he stepped inside.  _ Oh, finally.  _ You wanted nothing more than to run into his arms, but you sensed the air of caution he held about him. You decided it would be best to rise from your seat and wait for him to take notice of you - a pivotal mistake. 

That caution quickly turned to rage the moment he laid eyes on you, and before you knew it your feet dangled beneath you as your body thrashed around from the pain of your constricting larynx. Once again, you’d forgotten to remove your helmet. Maul’s grip was steady this time as he searched the space for any other threats, growling in outrage before returning his focus to you and stepping closer.

“Just  _ what _ did you hope to accomplish by luring me here, traitor?”

Even if you had been able to, your emotions would prevent you from speaking. Once was bad enough, but to be met with his deadly grip and rage-filled eyes twice in one day - you were beyond frightened. This was what so many of his opponents experienced in their final moments, and you were possibly minutes away from joining them. Maul released his hold ever-so-slightly to make it feasible for you to answer him, supplementing the danger by igniting his darksaber and holding it to your neck. All you could do was quietly sob his name.

"Maul...!"

The blade was extinguished and the hilt hit the ground with a metallic skid as you fell into his arms and he rushed to remove your helmet. He held and gripped you tightly as he dropped to his knees, both hands cradling either side of your tear-stained face while you coughed and wept, a cadence of “no’s” frantically escaping his lips. Part of him was dying inside as you were swept into his firm embrace with your face in the crook of his neck, every muscle beneath his skin trembling. 

“Oh, my angel, I’m so sorry...so sorry...!”

He supported your shoulders and ran his hand over the bruised areas of your neck, as though his touch could somehow undo the damage he'd done. His expression alone was enough proof of his genuine shock and regret, and yet part of you wasn't ready to immediately forgive him. You were finally back in your lover's arms, just where you always wanted to be - but not like this. You were still, not enacting or reciprocating any touch as you waited for your pounding heart to resume a steady pace. Only a portion of the hurt you felt was physical, and it left you wondering which pain would fade first. 

Impassive, you gently nudged his hand away and planted your feet to maneuver out of his hold. You knelt beside him, your gaze permanently fixated on the ground as your emotions whirled in a maelstrom of chaos. Sensing this, he took your hand in his and brought your knuckles to his lips, planting a lingering and desperate kiss there before he spoke.

“My dear, please, please know it was a mistake. An accident. Everyone in the palace is suspect, and the Death Watch are no exception. I would never hurt you, my treasure...”

His words managed to coerce your eyes to him for an instant, and you nodded in understanding. You’d exhausted your tears, but your face stung sharply with the forewarning of more forming at any moment. For whatever reason, there was so much conflict in you. On top of everything else, there was still some semblance of doubt that couldn’t be erased. He’d apologized profusely, there was truth in his words, and you knew his heart, but the fact remained that your own was breaking. Squeezing his hand, you found that your tears hadn’t been exhausted after all as you prepared to ask your question.

“The first time, too, then...?”

His lips parted with the intention to ask what you meant, however, he came to the horrific realization on his own as his eyes frantically darted across your attire. Before, he’d paid no more attention than a passing glance to the supposed Death Watch guard that had irritated him, his rage acting to rid the nuisance on his behalf the way it had many times before to others on that day alone, but now he finally understood the uncharacteristic and brief hesitation he’d felt in that instant. That feeling he was so incredibly wrong to ignore. He jerked his hand away and held it in front of his mouth, as though he needed to catch something that would soon escape from it. You’d never seen fear in him, and certainly no fear this intense. It was enough to pull you out of your own head, hitting you in the process with the revelation of what you’d done.

“Maul-”

He immediately stood with his back to you and clenched his fists, trembling in quiet contemplation. You rose to your feet and reached out to rest your hand on his shoulder, but he quickly darted away to the chair you had been using before and sat, leaning over with his face in his hands. Your heart sank, and the anger bred from the contempt you held for yourself so much today gradually began to surface. 

_ What have I done? _

You approached him cautiously, relieved that he didn’t recoil from your touch when you grazed your fingers against his arm. You shouldn’t have said anything; he was clearly in enough pain before you laid out the path for more unnecessary amounts of it. Rage - more hidden rage plumed within you as you criticized yourself for not forgiving him right from the start. You had no reason not to. This was all your fault, and you needed to make it right.

“Darling, you didn’t know. I-”

His nails dug into the flesh of his scalp, causing little droplets of crimson to form around his cuticles as he spoke.

“-I could have killed you.”

You pivoted in front of him and pulled at his wrists, affixing them to his knees with the pressure of your hold. Layering your palms against his, you knelt down and intertwined his fingers with yours as you planted a kiss against his forehead, the metallic taste of his blood seeping onto your tongue before you pulled away.

“But you didn’t.”

“Don’t you  _ see _ ,” he hissed softly, removing his hands from your hold as he sat straight up, “that isn’t the  _ point _ . All this time, I’ve tripled my efforts to maintain your safety from the numerous threats the galaxy would bestow upon you, however...”

Maul hadn’t cried a single tear since infancy, the first lesson he had ever learned from his former master being to never, ever cry; but as his eyes bore into yours, revealing the window into his soul that none before you had ever had the luxury, or rather, misfortune of peering into, you took notice of the droplets beginning to well up despite his reservations as he continued.

“...the biggest threat to your life right now is  _ me _ . I must have known, surely, I must have known the Dark Side would dictate fate as it always has, and it would be me who would kill you. My anger continues to cloud my judgement...”

You watched, speechless, as a now fully-formed tear fell across his cheek. He stared you down with absolute melancholy, while the stoic and passive expression he maintained before you ever entered his life resumed its place within his features as he stood with his arms behind his back in his signature stance.

“Leave. You must leave me. You’ll still never want for anything, credits, ships, weapons, medicine. It shall always be yours at any moment’s notice, as long as you maintain contact with Crimson Dawn. The alliance shared among the syndicates will ensure your livelihood, and you’ll remain safe...as long as you keep away from me.”

“Maul!” you shouted as you rose to your feet, shaking your head in disbelief concerning what you’d just heard, “I don’t care about any of that! The last thing I want in this universe is to be apart from you!”

Maul turned his back to you once again, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

“I’m afraid it’s not a suggestion.”

Your tears resumed streaming down your tired face, burning with a sear you’d never felt before in your life as you took a step back.

“Don’t push me away. I swear to the Son, if you have me taken away from you to the edge of the galaxy against my will or something, I’ll...!”

He watched you with intrigue, taking notice of the rage-fueled tremors that afflicted you in this heated state.

“You’ll what? You’ll kill me?”

You were entirely dumbfounded. 

“ _No,”_ you relayed with exasperation, deciding in that moment to finally release the power your anger was holding over you, “I’ll find my way _back_. Maul, I love you. You’re not a danger to me, and even if you were, I’d find a way to make it work. All of this, this... _karking_ _banthashit_ from today is entirely my fault.”

It was now your turn to hold your face in your hands. Maul extended his arm outward and retrieved the darksaber with the aid of the force, then hooked it to his vibrobrace before he returned to face you.

“You aren’t angry with me for hurting you?”

You shook your head.

“I could never stay angry with you. All this fury I have is for myself. I haven’t been clear and direct with you about...”

He now stood to your side, reversing your roles by moving your wrists away just as you had done for him.

“About...?”

You swallowed, the familiar hesitation that made you feel pathetic sweeping over you as it did every other time you thought about it, but you cast it aside. This talk was long overdue, and you finally deemed it as important enough.

“My needs.”

The corner of his lip curled into a small half-smile, a semblance of relief washing over his sharp features.

“Is that all?” he began, comfortingly brushing the pad of his thumb over your knuckles as he continued, “you don’t wish to strike me down and claim the throne of Mandalore and title of head of Crimson Dawn for yourself?”

“ _ What _ ? No, of course not! Where in the galaxy did you ever get  _ that _ idea?”

Maul pondered quietly to himself for a moment, then finally released a contented sigh.

“I’ll tell you soon enough. I will say, however, that even if it were true, I would let you execute me with the darksaber right here, right now, at any moment’s notice if only to fulfill your every desire, my love. I would happily die by your hand.”

“Maul, that’s...”

You honestly had no idea what to think. It flattered you, to some extent, however the thought of him senselessly throwing his life away was more than a little concerning. 

“...what are  _ your _ needs?”

He raised a curious, non-existent brow.

“ _ My _ needs?”

You nodded.

“Let’s take some time to discuss what the both of us need out of this relationship, what we both would like to see more of and less of, that sort of thing...”

You felt that wave of embarrassment wash over you again as your face flushed, and for a moment you couldn’t bring yourself to look him in the eye, but you overcame your meekness in exchange for transparency. 

“I suppose I’ll go first.”

*

The conversation couldn’t have lasted more than twenty minutes, and it wasn’t anywhere near as terrifying as you had imagined it would be. You learned so much about one another, bringing information to light that neither of you knew the other had. Maul appreciated your honesty and took every concern of yours to heart, leaving you a little puzzled when he started chuckling after you’d just finished pouring your heart out to him. 

“What is it?” you asked with a hint of offense in your voice.

He sat down into his chair, still snickering as he leaned back and propped his leg up onto the seat, resting his arm on his knee. You had to admit, every time he did that it awakened something within you. All the tension in the air before had nearly dissipated, Maul’s aloofness in his body language alone already helping to ease your worries. 

“My dear,” he began, those golden eyes already undressing you while he pat his thigh as an invitation, “I’m so relieved. Come, sit.”

It took all your resolve to not oblige him completely naked already with a "Yes, Master" - hell, you had  _ some _ restraint, and the trajectory of the situation wasn't exactly permitting, given that there was still someone on the loose that was actively trying to kill you both. You opted instead to cautiously make your way over to him and stand at his knee, maintaining composure for the most part.

"You're relieved?"

A tiny yelp escaped your lips as you were suddenly pulled down into his lap, his mouth crashing over yours with an urgency you so desperately wanted to match. You relaxed and made yourself comfortable in his arms, relishing in his taste as your tongue flicked against his bottom lip, those two triangular markings there being your favorite place to playfully bite down on...but maybe later. For now, you were elated to simply be sharing this moment with him. He broke away only for an instant, moving to grip your thighs and pull you in so you were straddling him.

“Yes,” he exhaled with a gasp.

He deepened the kiss, the cadence of passionate smacks filling the space as you quickly began losing your reticence. You sucked and grazed at his tattoos with your canines after all, the heat you generated pooling and forming a knot deep within your stomach. Your hands traced his other markings as they explored the skin of his burning chest, moving underneath the fabric of his jacket to palm at his defined pecs before you slipped the garment over his shoulders. Your mouth left his lips briefly to trail a string of kisses from the base of his jaw down to his collarbone while he kneaded and lightly spanked your ass, the only surface area available to him through your flightsuit.

“This won’t do.”

Your breath hitched as he went to work on removing your armor, the plates snapping away from the fabric easily with the might he used to discard them. It was  _ absolutely _ doing it for you, the animalistic way he ripped each piece from your body as though they would adhere to you permanently if he didn’t do it quickly enough, but you were starting to have reservations again. You remembered the direness of having an assassin in the palace and you hoped under your breath that you wouldn’t need to return that armor to the guard who loaned it to you. 

“Maul, right now? In  _ here _ ?”

_ And weren’t we trying to talk about something? _

He stopped what he was doing for a moment to pull you in for another long, deep kiss against his smiling lips. You wanted it, oh  _ force _ you wanted it, but all you could think about was how many of Maul’s associates had access to this place - it was a miracle that it had been vacant when you arrived - not to mention the ever-looming threat of death from the yet-to-be-apprehended killer on the loose, who was likely waiting around for just the right moment to catch the both of you in a vulnerable position at once, and if there was any perfect chance of that, it was certainly at this very moment. 

“Darling...” Maul cooed, gripping onto your codpiece after removing your belts and snapping it off, "I'm afraid we can't let all that go to waste."

_ All what?  _ You started to think before Maul tugged on the fabric of your bottoms, pulling them up with his fist against your belly so that the friction of it rubbed right up against your most sensitive spot, making your breath hitch once again as you took notice of what he was talking about.

_ Oh. _

You were completely soaked. Your initial reaction was total embarrassment, having saturated not only your clothing that certainly wasn't getting returned to that woman now, but Maul's clothes as well. He didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, continuing to tug the material up against your clit until you started involuntarily grinding your hips against him, the wet stamp growing larger and darker as little whines and gasps escaped from your lips. 

“Maul,” you half-begged, making a valiant effort to stay grounded in reality, “there’s someone out there trying to kill us.”

He growled seductively into the crook of your neck as he nipped your ear and circled your tender nub with his thumb, eliciting all kinds of compulsory sounds from you to his delight. He guided your hand down to his pelvis, slipping it behind the fabric of his pants so your fingertips grazed the three small buttons lined up against the metal plating of his groin. 

“Then we’d better hurry.”

He applied pressure to your fingers, unlocking the hatch that relinquished the phallic addition that now filled your palm and tented his pants.  _ Oh, force. It’s been so long. _ You uncovered it from the cloth prison and began stroking him, verifying that his cybernetic touch sensors were in working order by the way he groaned and stiffened in your hand. You sighed.

“Okay, just a qui-”

Maul silenced you with a kiss and wasted no time lifting you by your thighs and hoisting you up onto the table, then clutching the moist fabric of your crotch area and ripping it open along the inseam. 

“Maul?!”

“No time, dear.”

He slid your wadded panties to the side and brought his fingers to his mouth to savor the taste of you before coating the tip of his cock in your juices, teasing your bundle of nerves in the process which sent a fire coursing through your veins. You propped yourself up on your elbows and wrapped your legs around his waist, biting your lip as you anticipated the sensation of him burying himself deep inside. He leaned forward with his tattooed hands gripping your thighs as he proceeded to do just that, your slickness allowing his entire length to fill you all at once. You both cursed.

There was nothing in the universe quite like it. You’d been intimate with him before, but now every single sense was somehow heightened. Perhaps it was the threat of being discovered and even killed, or maybe the tension and passion had festered for long enough; perhaps it may have been because you’d grown a little more together, hitting a milestone of some kind after baring your souls to one another. Maybe it was a culmination of all of these things, but in any case, it was incredible.

You reached for his face and pulled him in for a peck as he established a good rhythm, eliciting more moans and sighs from the both of you between hungry and passionate kisses. He slipped a hand beneath your flightsuit and kneaded your breasts while he whispered sweet adulations into you ear with his sultry voice, that alone nearly being enough to send you over the edge. You bucked your hips against him and squeezed your tight pussy around his dick, prompting him to thrust harder and faster as each pump pounded into your cervix until the knot in your stomach was finally ready to come undone.

“Maul!”

He pulled you into his chest and shuddered, uttering a paecian curse as you both came. Your pulsating walls constricted around his twitching cock, the added warmth of his synthetic cum filling you encouraging your orgasm to last that much longer. The fluid from your own emission continued to spurt even as he stilled, provoking him to resume stimulating your clit with his thumb as he pressed his dick right against _the_ _spot_ , sending you into an even more excessive frenzy that reduced you to a wailing, spasming mess. He didn’t let up, continuing his ministrations until your body slumped and you were entirely spent before he finally pulled out and let your combined discharge spill out onto the ground. 

You reached for him instinctively at the same moment he leaned over you and you wrapped your arms around him, indulging in another series of dreamy kisses while he pulled you back up in an upright position. Maul held you tenderly against his warm chest, the beating of his twin hearts in tandem with yours overcoming you with absolute bliss as he rubbed your back and planted a loving kiss on your forehead.

“Satisfied?” he whispered against your skin.

He didn’t need to wait for an answer, both of you knowing damn well that he just gave you the single greatest fuck of your life. You smiled, taking his face in your hands before kissing him and gazing amorously into his golden eyes.

“I love you, Maul.”

He chuckled.

“You really needed that. I love you, too.”

The air abruptly shifted and Maul's expression became one of concern as he studied the far side of the room over his shoulder from the corner of his eye, then swiftly moved to shield you as he quickly ignited the darksaber and sent it flying with the aid of the force. It hit an invisible target, the crushing of durasteel and crackling of electricity filling the space as its cloak deactivated, leaving a mechanical orb to hit the floor with a resounding clang.

Shaken, you hopped to your feet beside him in a defensive stance, taking a moment to visually scope out the rest of the area with him before asking any questions.

"What the hell was that?"

Maul walked forward and retrieved his weapon, kicking the apparatus on its side to further inspect it.

"A probe," he began, an enraged scowl painting his features as he continued, "and it's one of ours. Death Watch."

Your eyes widened, only half-concerned with how much it observed and potentially recorded during it's reconnaissance as you silently strung together this new information with what you suspected, confirming your previous hunch.

"I think I know who it is."

He returned to your side, eager to hear your prediction.

"I believe I do as well, but do enlighten me."

You smiled, playfully taking his hand in yours and lightly swinging it as though you were about to head out on a date rather than administer justice and revenge in a likely violent manner.

"I will. I also think I have a plan to catch the culprit in the act. Why not have some fun with this?"

Maul returned your smile, pulling your hand to his lips once again. You were never going to get tired of that. He slipped the hilt of the darksaber into your free hand as he whispered in your ear.

“I love that you share my idea of ‘fun’, darling. Take the lead, I won’t be far behind you.”

*

You rounded the corner of the hallway that led to your chambers as you adjusted your shirt, or rather, Maul’s shirt. Wearing the tattered flightsuit with a gaping crotch hole around the palace wasn’t going to be ideal, so he gave you the clothes right off his back - a gesture that made you fall in love with him all over again. He could never really be completely “naked” in the technical sense anyhow, but it warmed your heart all the same. You had to tie a little knot in the waistband of his pants to keep them up, which in turn helped to conceal the wet spot from earlier that was only partially dry. The shirt was a different story, with the navel-length v-neck just barely covering your nipples. It was certainly a  _ look,  _ and if time and circumstance had permitted, Maul would have had you model it more for him before tearing it off your body and continuing to relentlessly fuck you there all night rather than let you leave on this mission.

As it turned out, your suspicions were nearly aligned with one another, save for a few details you'd individually uncovered first-hand that completed the final pieces of the puzzle after your briefing with him. Now that the mystery was solved, it was finally time to put the issue to rest once and for all.

You held your hand against the dna scanner that served as the lock to your room, the large durasteel doors sliding open with a hiss. Once inside, you were met with the same two guards that had come to your aid that morning, the woman now wearing a new arrangement of beskar armor without a helmet, the plates embellished with gold rather than the red and black accents the other Death Watch had adopted. Her partner, however, was dead. The room was in shambles, with every surface area that could be manipulated entirely trashed, and his corpse rested against an overturned table, a small hole in his chest.

"What happened here?" you demanded, the guard releasing a small sigh of exertion as she offered her explanation.

"It happened only a short time ago, before I arrived. He uncovered another kouhun and must have been unprepared for its attack. He didn't make it."

"I see," you began, crossing your brows, "how unfortunate. What of the kouhun?"

"I took care of it."

You held your hands behind your back and began a slow and steady pace around the room, the guard monitoring your every step with caution as you responded.

"Good. It truly is a shame to have lost such a loyal servant in this trying time. How  _ strange _ that it happened that way..."

The guard's gaze remained fixated on you as you turned to face her on your loop back around.

" _ Strange _ , My Lady?"

You frowned, moving just a bit closer to where the corpse was sprawled out as you glanced at the woman from the corner of your eye.

"I find it  _ interesting _ that he died so recently after searching for so long. From what I understand, the kouhuns are starved and will attack the first creature they come into contact with. If it was in the room for all this time, it seems odd that it would have patiently remained hidden with potential prey readily available."

The guard remained silent and still as you paused for a beat before continuing.

"It's also interesting knowing that an assassin will typically dispense the kouhuns in pairs, so with a total of four, I find the idea strange that only two attacked Lord Maul this morning while the others didn't. Unless, of course, the others were released some time after he left, which checks out with the confirmation that he searched the room himself after it happened and found nothing."

"That's a good observation, My Lady," she began as the air in the vicinity gradually tensed, and she looked to the body across the room as she continued to project loyalty, "do you believe  _ he _ was the culprit?"

"I do find it telling that one kouhun struck at me immediately after I awoke while he was present at the door, and now knowing he was just struck by another only moments after Lord Maul informed the  _ both _ of you I was heading to bed, I'm convinced. So, yes, he was always suspect. However..."

You stopped in your tracks, facing her head-on with the countenance of an assassin as you began your interrogation.

"...while I was investigating, I learned that the tail venom of a kouhun only incapacitates, it doesn't intoxicate or sedate. I was nearly helpless when you carried me to the medbay, not only physically, but mentally as well. The venom alone wouldn't have that affect, but with the addition of, say, a pheromone-based sedative, which was likely administered when you brushed the wound from the sting on my wrist, my guard was entirely let down with you. I can only assume that this sedative was also the ticket for convincing your late boyfriend here to do your bidding."

Her brows crossed as she clenched her fist and bore her teeth, while you remained calm and collected with a casual hand resting on the darksaber.

"Don't get me wrong," you began, "I think it's clever. Genius, even. I can respect it. The question that remained for a while was why you didn't finish me off right there in the medbay, and why you made a further effort to maintain my trust by helping me. It wasn't until I talked with Maul that we realized..."

You took an intimidating step forward as she carefully took one step back, your gaze hardening into one of danger while you rapped your fingernails against the hard metal of your weapon.

“...you’ve been supplementing him with the sedative as well. Day by day, gradually increasing the dose as you managed to direct his attention away from your increased involvement with him and I to fabricated issues, sowing the seeds of uncertainty in our relationship. You sought to drive us further and further apart until you found an opportunity for sabotage. The kouhuns were more or less a distraction to keep us on edge and concerned for our future. You made sure to let anger fester within the both of us, in hopes that eventually we would either separate, or that in the midst of all the confusion and uncertainty, he would kill me and be left devastated, and as a result become a more easy target for you...which is what you were secretly hoping for, wasn’t it? You wanted to take the nasty route and cause as much heartache as possible before disposing of him. I must say, all that hard work nearly paid off. It almost happened  _ twice _ .”

The guard quickly shifted into a defensive stance and put a hand on her blaster, growling with the ferocity of a nexu as she slung it out and fired a bolt into the doorlock, disabling it and trapping the both of you inside.

“Clever girl,” she hissed, aiming the weapon at your head as you ignited the darksaber, “I’ll admit, that would have been ideal, but I’m more practical than picky. I’d have been just as satisfied if that incapable idiot on the table had just done as I said and taken you both out in the library.”

You clicked your tongue.

“Yep, really missed out on that opportunity. I think he got...preoccupied. Good on you for killing him, I’d hate for him to be left alive after seeing what he saw.”

She screamed.

"Enough! Let's finish this!"

She fired a rapid series of blaster bolts which you carefully deflected, pushing forward with every hit to close the distance between you. Maul's form was aggressive, and he made sure to impart the same techniques in the few short lessons he'd given you. She reached for a smoke detonator and tossed it, but rather than having it catch you by surprise, you took Maul's teachings to heart and used the distraction to your advantage by lunging straight at her and darting between her legs before it went off, using the precious millisecond of her misstep you'd been granted to slice the burning blade through the tendons of her ankles as she squealed in pain. Sight wouldn't be an issue now that she was crippled and had nowhere to run.

Was it a dirty move? Perhaps. Was it efficient? Absolutely. Your opponent remained relatively in place as she frantically fired shots in the dark, screaming in agony before holding out her arm to use her flamethrower. You stayed close and waited, crouching down below waist-level as she ignited the flame and started to pivot, but you were in just the right place to spring up and slice through her arm, severing it at the elbow unprotected by beskar.

The traitor unleashed yet another horrifying scream and you moved to deliver one more deadly strike, however she caught you by surprise when she hit you directly with a forceful headbutt that knocked you away long enough to for her to hit the darksaber out of your hand and send it flying. She yowled when her foot collided with your face, knocking you on your ass as you scrambled to avoid her sporadic kicks and punches through the thick smoke.

"I'm not losing to some Sith  _ whore _ !" she spat, firing more blaster bolts at random as the smoke gradually began to settle.

You stayed low and moved with the cover of the lasting plumes, waiting ever so patiently for your next opening. Patience, another of Maul's most critical lessons when facing an enemy. The guard was wasting energy just from the sheer over-exertion of keeping herself on her feet, and the tenacity of her actions was only furthering to decline her health as well as her sanity.

An opportunity presented itself when you stumbled upon her own severed forearm just as the last bit of smoke was about to dissipate. You implemented a little teras kasi in your movements as you threw the appendage directly at her face, giving you time to skid across the floor and kick her legs out from beneath her. She hit the ground with a thud and you wasted no time in taking a firm stance above her and stomping on her neck with your boot.

"If you have any final words, or perhaps even a reason why I should spare your miserable life, now would be a good time," you illustrated with some reluctance.

She spat a curse in mando'a, shaking her head as she appeared to bite down on her own molar with a resounding crack, breaking into the dioxis poison inside. She uttered a small chortle, whispering between a few heaves and coughs as she stared you down with all the animosity in the galaxy.

"I will...never..."

Finally, her eyes glazed over as her struggle ended and her heart stopped beating.

His timing impeccable, Maul entered the space after opening your doors with the force and quickly stood to your side as you removed your boot from the woman's neck.

"It's over," you sighed, instinctively turning into his chest the moment he held his arm out to you.

He held the back of your head and rubbed comforting circles between your shoulder blades as he observed the fresh corpse at your feet.

"Poison?"

You nodded.

"She refused to be killed by me. I'm not sure why, but I'm kind of offended," you admitted.

"Then she died without honor," he began, guiding your chin up to meet his gaze, "her act of cowardice will only inspire more loyalty among the Death Watch who remain faithful to us..."

He planted a kiss on your forehead and took your hand in his before he continued.

"...and they'll hold even more respect for  _ you _ ."

You managed a small smile, placing a tender kiss against his knuckles.

"I'm glad that we can finally put all this behind us."

He hummed a note of affirmation against your skin, brushing his lips in a soft trailing kiss down the bridge of your nose and along your cupid’s bow before claiming your mouth with his. It was such bliss, finally being able to share a moment like this together without any worries. 

"I'm proud of you," he admitted after a beat, brushing a lock of your hair from your face, "You fought beautifully. Albeit a little  _ dirty _ , but..."

You smirked.

“I learned from you, after all...and I happen to know you like things a little  _ dirty _ .”

The urge to follow up your comment with a corny and insensitive Lotho Minor joke was so unbelievably strong that you had to choke the words down in a near-laugh that almost escaped. Maul raised a questioning non-existent brow in response.

“What.” 

A demand.

You shook your head, covering your traitorous smirk with your hand.

“Tell me.”

“Never.”

“Now.”

“No.”

A long, awkward silence followed as you stared each other down, Maul with inquiry and determination and you with a fervent desire to stay quiet no matter the cost as you now used both hands to cover your mouth, stifling a nervous chuckle. 

“Darling,” he stated, and you already knew you were in for it, “just say it, or I’ll have to force it out of you.”

You shook your head again, conveying through your eyes that you really meant it.

“It’s  _ bad _ .”

“Bad...? Darling, in what universe do you think you need to censor anything  _ bad _ from me?” He moved his hands to your waist, and you could have sworn you heard something like a purr emanating from his chest.

“Not bad like  _ that _ ,” you explained quietly, feeling your heart race with anxiety, “bad like  _ mean _ .”

Now he was intrigued.

“ _ Mean _ ,” he repeated, somehow even more determined than he was before as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, “Were you about to say something  _ mean _ to me, my dear?”

“Mm-mm!” you denied.

Maul sighed, trailing his fingers along your hips as he spoke with the most gentle yet predatory voice you’d ever heard.

“Oh, my sweet, darling girl...” he breathed, and you felt your heart pounding even more quickly in anticipation, “...don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He picked you up by the waist like a ragdoll and carried you with him to your overturned mattress, throwing you on your back as you yelped and he positioned himself over you. He pinned you to the bed with his hands on your wrists, kissing a trail down your exposed cleavage to the spot where your shirt tucked into your pants, and he got to work tugging on the fabric with his teeth as you drowned in ecstasy thinking about the sexy things he was going to do to you as he exposed your torso - and then proceeded to blow a big fat raspberry on your stomach.

You scream-laughed in agony. Truly, this was the worst torture Maul had ever implemented on anyone - tickle torture.

“Maul, stop!”

“Say it, then.”

You pursed your smiling lips as you remained silent, willing to endure as long as possible to keep from sharing your secret. Maul shrugged.

“Have it your way.”

He resumed the vile act, making you laugh so hard that you almost couldn’t breathe.

“Stop! I’m gonna pee!”

He smirked against your stomach.

“As if I didn’t need any more incentive...”

“Maul! Gross!”

He didn’t let up, blowing harder and longer until you feared that maybe you really would actually pee a little. You spoke where you could between the fits of laughter.

“Maul...! You would...! Nasty boy...! Stinky bastard man...!”

He perked up.

“Oh? Are we getting  _ mean _ , now?”

Your chest heaved, the laughter finally subsiding a little as you tried to catch your breath.

“You would...like nasty things...dirty things...after living on Lotho Minor for so long...!”

Maul ceased, his energy dropping along with his expression at your words. He avoided your gaze and reflected inwards, causing you to worry about the potential pain you just caused him.

_ Oh _ ,  _ no _ .

“Um...” you fumbled, coming down from your high as you propped yourself up on your elbows, “...I tried to tell you it was bad. I’m sorry.”

He pulled himself up so his head was level with yours as he reclaimed the pressure on your wrists, giving you an ominous look as he questioned you.

“You mean to tell me...you got yourself all worked up...over such a  _ weak _ - _ ass _ joke?”

You swallowed. You almost wanted to laugh again, partially because you weren’t expecting  _ that _ to be his reaction, but also because you’d never in your life heard him say “-ass”  _ anything _ .

“I’m sorry?”

“You should be. Are you trying to bore me? Trying to get me to fall asleep?”

You mock-scoffed, pushing up against his chest with your knees.

“Is that right? And since when were  _ you _ the humor police?”

“Since always, my dear. Go ahead, ask for a joke.”

You rolled your eyes, more than well-aware of what was coming.

“I know the joke, Maul.”

“Ask.”

“It isn’t funny. It’s never been funny, and it isn’t magically going to be funny now.”

“Yes, it has and it is.”

“No.”

“Ask me.”

You probably achieved a galactic record for the longest ever nasal exhale of all time in that moment.

“Fine. Tell me a joke, Maul.”

He readied himself in a comfortable position on his side facing you while he supported his head with his elbow, trying his best not to smirk too much just from thinking about it.

“Are you prepared to hear the single _greatest_ _joke_ of all time?”

You closed your eyes. The sooner you responded, the sooner it would be over.

“Sure.”

He waited. Of course he waited. He waited until the silence became so unbearable that you just  _ had _ to say something.

“...Are you going to-”

“-It’s  _ Kenobi _ .”

THE END (?)


End file.
